Tree-related risk to structures

Dealga P. O’Callaghan and Giles Mercer

Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, 2019, vol. 8, issue 1, 38-52

Abstract: Tree-caused subsidence is a major problem in Britain and has been for many years, with the cost to insurers running into hundreds of millions of pounds per year. Subsidence damage ranges from minor cracking to significant structural damage, meaning that trees are often viewed negatively for this reason, despite the benefits they provide. It is estimated that there are 150m urban trees in Britain, a significant proportion of which have statutory protection. This paper presents a factual account of the various components of subsidence, including a basic explanation of how trees function and how they use water in the context of clay soils, climate, building damage, the housing stock and tree management options. Recent case law in this area is placed in the context of the legal framework surrounding subsidence.

Keywords: subsidence; trees; vegetation; shrinkable clay; water use; climate; MORECS; pruning; reasonable foreseeability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: R3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aza:jbsav0:y:2019:v:8:i:1:p:38-52

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